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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · bat · roll · board · saw · date · cue · mug

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cell — a phone
  5. mug — a face
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. roll — a cake
  11. board — to get on
  12. roll — a list
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cell — in biology
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. board — a committee
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. mug — to rob
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bat — in an idiom

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com